Army lists > Hart's Army Lists > New annual army list, militia list, and Indian civil service list > 1876

THE VICTORIA CROSS. {VC ) 645
{Officers now holding Rank in the Army.)
i AiKMAK, Lieiifenant Frederick Robebtsox, 4th Bengal Native Infantry (now Captain on half pay).—This
I Officer, commanding the 3rd Sikh Cavalry on the advanced picket, with 100 of his meu, having obtained'informa-
just as the Force marched on the morning of the ist March 1858, of the proximity, three miles off the high
of a body of 500 rebel infantry, 200 horse, and two guns, under Moosahib All Chuckbdar, attacked and utterly
I them, cutting up more than 100 men, capturing two guns, ami driving the survivors into and over the
Gojiutee. This feat was penbrmed under every disadvantage of broken ground, and jjartialiv under the flanking
fire of an adjoining fort. Lieutenant Aikman received a severe s.abre-cut in the face in a personal encounter with
' several of the enemj'.
AiTKEM, Lieutenant Robert Hope Monceieff, 13th Bengal Native Infantry (now Lieutenant Colonel Bengal Stall
Corjis,.—For various acts of gallantry performed during the defence of the 'Residency of Lucknow, from tr.o 30th
Juno to the 22nd November 1857. i. On three difierent occasions Lieutenant Aitken went into the garden under
the enemy's loopholes iu the "Captain's Bazaar." On two of these occasions he brought out a number of bullocks
which had been left in the garden ; subsequently, on the 3rd July, the enemv having set fire to the Bhoosa Stock
in the garden, and it being apprehended that the fire would reach the powder magazine wliich had been left
;there. Lieutenant Aitkeu, accompanied by other Oflicers, went into the garden, and cut down all the tents which
'"' '!it have communicated the fire to the powder. This was done clo.se t.i the enemv's loopholes, under a liright
from the flames ; it was a most dangerous service. 2. On the night of the 2otU Augii.st, the enemy having
le to the Baillie Guard Gate, Lieutenant Aitken was the first man in the gatewa.v. and, assisted' by some
s and a water-carrier of his regiment, he partially opened the gate under a heavv fire of niusketrv, and,
,g removed the burning wood and straw, saved the.gate. 3. On the evening of the 25th September this
■V led on twelve sepoys of his regiment, for the jrarpose of attacking two guns opposite the gate relerred to,
iu order to prevent their being turned on the late Major General Havelock's second Column. Havin" c.antured
them, he attacked and took the Teree Kotee, with a small force. 4. On the morning of the 26.^ September, \t-ith a
small party of his regiment, he assaulted and captufcd the barricaded gateway of tlie Furreed Buksh Palace, and
the I'alace itself. On this occasion he sprang up against a small wicket gate ori the rii;ht, and prevented theeiiemT
from shutting it, until, with assistance, it was forced open, and the assaulting party were thus enabled to rush in.
The complete success of the attack was solely owing to thisOtficer's distinguLshed bravery. 5. In a suljsequent
sortie on the 29th September, Lieutenant Aitken volunteered to take a gun which still continued firing, taking with
him Tour soldiers through the houses and lanes to the gun. The enemy flre<t on this ])artv from the houses but
they held their ground, until a stronger party coining up, the gun was upset from the carriage, and taken into the
Residency. Another gun was subsequently taken.
AssoN, Caiitain Honorable Augustus Henrv Aechibald, 84th Regiment, and Aide de Camp to M-i-jor G -leral Sir
Hope Grant (sold out ai Major and Brecet Lt.Colonel).—Vor conspicuous braverv at Boluulshahur on the
28th September 1857. The gth Lancers had charged through the town, and were 're-forming in the Serai • the
euemy attempted to close the entrance by drawing their carts across ir, so as to shut in tlie cavalrv and foi-m a
cover from which to fire upon them. Caiitnin Anwm, taking a lance, dashed out of the gatewav, aml'kn ,cked the
drivers off their carts. Owing to a wound in his left hand, received at Delhi, he could not stop his horse and rode
into the middle of the enemy, who fired a volley at hiin, one ball passing through his cont. At Lncknovv at the
assault of the Secundra Bagh, on ibth November 1857, he entered with the storming party on the gates bein"
Tjurst open. He had his horse killed, and was him-self slightly wounded. He has shown the greatest gallantrv on
every occasion, and has slam many enemies iu &ght.—DeKpafch from Major General Sir Jamen Hoiie Grtjiit KCB
>daffd i-2th Auijiigt iS^S. ' '*
i Beli,, Captain Enw.iRD Wir.r.i.iM DEERiyGTOjr, 23rd Fusiliers (now Mi/or G<?»«-a?i.—Recommended for his
igalknitry, more particularly at tlie battle of the Alma, where he was the first to seize noon and capture one of the
enemy's guns, which was limbered up, and being carried ofl". He, moreover, succeeded to the command of that
gallant Regiment which he brought out of action, all his Senior Otficer.< having been killed or wounded
Bki.l, Lieutenant Mark Sever, Royal Engineers (now Cap^on;I.—For his distinguished bmverv and zealons
J-esolute, and self-devoted conduct at the battle of Ordahsn, on the 4t!i February 1874, while serving under the im
mediate orders of Colonel Sir John Chetham McLeod, KCB., of the 42nd Regiment, who cominandid the Advanced
Guard Sir John McLeod was an eye-witness of his gallant and distinguished conduct on the occisiim and con¬
siders that this officer s fearless andresolute bearing, being always in the front, urging on and encoiiragintr an
unnrnied working party of Fantee labourers, who were exposed not only to the fire of theenemy but to the wild and
irregular fire of the native troojis in the rear, contributed very materially to the success of the da v. By his examnle
he made these men do lyhat no European party was ever required to do in warfare, namely, to' work under fire in
the t;tce of the enemy without a covering party. uoiuioju
Berrtmax, Troop Sergeant Major John, i7th'Lancers (now Quarter Master).—BerveA with his re<'iment the wholn
of the Crimean war, was present at the battle of the Alma, and also engaged in the pursuit at Mackenzie's Farm
where he succeeded m capturing three Russian prisoners, when they were within reach of their own guns "Was ere-
sent and charged at the batt e of Balaklava, where, his horse being shot under him, he stopped on the field with a
wounded Officer (Captain Webb) amidst a shower of shot and shell, although repeatedly told by that Officer to consult
his own safety, and leave him, but he refused to do so, and, on Sergeant John Farrell coming 'by, with his assistaDCe
carried Captain Webb out of range of the guns. He has also a Clasp forlnkerman. i.u ms assisiaDCe
Blair, C«^ten James, 2nd Bombay Light Cavalry (now Colonel).-¥oT having on two occasions dietingui.hed
himself by his gallant and darmg conduct, i. On the night of the 12th August 1857, at Neemnch iu volun-
teering to apprehend seven or eight armed mutineers who had shut themselves up for defence in a'house thn
ioor 01 which he burst open. He then rushed in among them, and forced them to escape through the roof- in'ihi«
■encounter he was severely woimded. In spite of his wounds he pursued the fugitives, but was unable to come un
rith them m consequence of the darkness of the night. 2. On the 23rd October 1S57, at Jeerum, in fighting his
Bray most gallantly through a body of rebels who had literally surrounded him. After breaking the end of hit
■bword on one of their heads and receivmg a severe sword-cut on his right arm, he rejoined his troop In th a
Tounded condition, and with no other weapon than the hilt of his broken sword, he putiiimself at the head of hs
nen, charged the rebels most effectually, and dispersed them fo mc i,eau 01 n,8
Boole, ii«<e«an< Andrew Cvthcaet, 78th Highlanders (now retired Major).-Vox conspicuous gallantry on the
,9th July 1857, m the attack at Oonao (with Havelock's Force advancing to the rehef of Lucknow) in^eadin^
;he way into a loophoed house, strong y occupied by the enemy from which a heavy fire harassed hf
idvance of his regiment. Lieutenant Bogle was severelv wounded in this important service n-irassea the
Bouloee, Lance Corporai Abraham, 84th Regiment (now Quarter Made,^.-¥oT distinguished braverv and
^rwardness ns a skirmisher, m all the twelve actions fought between the ,2th July and 25th September fg =17 --
Extract from Field Force Orders of the late Ma.jor General nareloclc. dated ijth Oct i8s7 pi-tmuer 1B57.
BovRCBis^ Lieutenant Claude Thomas, Rifle Brigade {now Colonel on half payj.-Highly distinguished -t the
friirs ^ Sebastopol, 20th November ,854. His gallant conduct was recorded in the F?^nch General
Brown Lieutenant Francis David Millett, ist European Bengal Fusiliers (now Captain Bengal Staff Cornsl _
For great gallantry at Namoul on the i6th November 1857, in having, at the imminent risk of his own life rush^
to tl« assistance of a wounded soldier of the ist European Bengal Fusiliers, whom he carried off under'Ive?^
leavy fire from the enemy, whose cavalry were within forty or fiftf yards of him at the time ^
, Browne, i.e«<e«a«< Henry Georue, 32nd Regiment (now Ma^or on half pay).-For conspicuous b-averv in
having, on the 21st August .857. dunng the siege of the Luoknow Residency, gallantly led a sortie It Seaf
lors.mal risk, for the purpose oi spdnngtwo heavy guns, which were doing considlrable damage to thl'deences
i "PP™in/'Zt h» w.ft^'^'fi^ f ^^^ non-commissioned officers and men who accompanied clptain Browne on
the occasion, that he was tne first person who entered the batter>-, which consisted of the two iuns in ouTstloTi
brotected by high palisades, the embrasures being closed with sliding shutters. On reaching the batte?^'
Lieutenant Browne reraove.l the shutters and .iumped into the ba'tery. The rebult was ihat the gSns were sn kPd'
ind It IS supposed that about one hundred of the enemy were killed. spiked
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